


I Learned (Not to Trust the Truth)

by 3x3



Category: Magisterium Series - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Genre: Call turns into Constantine, Chaptered, Future fic sort of, Gen, Iron Trio, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-05-19 17:52:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5975929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3x3/pseuds/3x3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Call couldn't take it for much longer. Constantine Madden's memories were drowning him, and he knew he had to get away.<br/>Aaron didn't understand why Call had left all of a sudden. When there's a chance to finding him again, he immediately reached out, but what had happened in the past years? Was Call still the boy he called his best friend, or had he gone too far?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Magisterium fanfic so this is my first time writing them sorry for the ooc-ness please don't judge too hard.  
> I wrote this because this fandom deserves to be known. This is a wonderful fandom with wonderful people, and I want to write something for this series.  
> This is also a work in progress, nothing is completely sure yet, so the tags would be added on along future chapters.

"Call?" Aaron raced down the dark passageway, searching for his counterweight. "Call!"

Something's wrong. _Something's ought to be._

"Call!"

He hadn't noticed how far he'd gone until he found the boy on a familiar hilltop past the gates to the dark woods at the east. The place where they found Drew when he ran off during their Iron Year.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Aaron." Call's voice was calm and steady, but his eyes, usually stable, now held a frantic and desperate look, and his whole figure was trembling from head to toe.

"What are you _doing_ here?" Aaron felt his face flush red in an unusual rage. All the running he'd done to get here didn't help the matters much.

He only felt himself getting angrier when Call ran a hand through his hair.

"Look," Call sighed with exhaustion. "I know what people expect from me. I was at the Assembly, okay?"

Aaron could recall their cruel words and disgusted expressions perfectly. He felt his words soften. "Not necessarily everything they say is correct. Besides, they were talking about Constantine."

"No, it's fine." Call held up a hand. "I get it. I'm a danger. A threat. And I'm supposed to be all chained up before I show my true colors and kill the Makar, who, by the way, is also my first and best friend in my short and pathetic life."

"Stop it. Your life is not pathetic. And you would never hurt me."

Call grunted in response. "I know a certain Assembly that would disagree with you. And they won't hesitate to say it to your face if it keeps your well-being o' great savior."

"Will you quit that?"

"Sorry."

They were quiet for a while after that.

"How'd you know?" Call broke the silence.

"Know what?"

"Know that I wouldn't hurt you? Not intentionally- but I'm not sure about the lengths Constantine Madden would go to."

"You're not him!" Aaron's fury flared right up. "You're not Constantine Madden. Constantine Madden is dead."

"I have his soul." Call reminded him softly. "I'm him, deep inside. And I know it. And _you_  know it."

Aaron opened his mouth to argue, but he found out that he couldn't make out a single word.

"It's okay. Everything's okay now. Even when there's still a huge mess resting on our shoulders." Call said. "I know what has to be done now. What _I_ have to do. They were right all along. I never want to hurt you, and the only way I can make sure you are safe, is if I get away from you." There was a certain kind of determination in his words.

Something clicked in his head.

"You're leaving." Aaron finally managed, his voice unbelievably controlled, dead and monotone even to his own ears. It sounded more like a statement than a question. Call ducked his head away to hide his face.

"But you can't." he tried to reason. "You haven't- we haven't finished training yet. It's too dangerous out there. You could die! I could, I'm coming with you!" he took a panicked step forward before halting in his tracks, regretting blurting out whatever was on his mind before actually running it through his brain.

"Ahh, but that defeats the whole point, doesn't it? It's nothing really, I know a handful of people who would be absolutely ecstatic if I were dead. At least it would be _something_ I did right. Dying. Think of it as carrying out my mother's last wish. Jasper would probably throw a party or something." with that Call let out a little chuckle, but his laughter died down in his throat when he caught Aaron's death glare. "I'm sorry, Aaron." he apologized. "I shouldn't joke about it even if it's true."

" _It's not true._ " Aaron fought weakly. "At least the part about Jasper. You _do_ know that, don't you."

"Yeah."

Aaron hung his head in disappointment.

"I'll be fine." Call reassured him. "I've got Havoc." he ruffled the wolf's furry head affectionately. "He and I, we'll look after each other, won't we?"

The wolf gave a happy bark, nuzzling his head into Call's palm. The boy smiled, and Aaron marveled at the sight, and was horrified when he couldn't recall the last time Call had beamed like that: all carefree.

The situation was set.

"There really isn't any way for you to stay, is there?" Aaron asked miserably, dreaded having to know the answer already. Call's smile vanished, and Aaron felt extremely guilty to have chased it away.

"Hey." Call said gently, uncharacteristically, nudging Aaron slightly on the arm. "Take care of yourself, alright? Now that I won't be around to clean after you anymore."

"You wish." Aaron mumbled in response, earning a laugh from his friend.

"But honest, be careful." Call said when his laughter died down, shoulders still shaking a bit, his voice though, was genuine. "Don't worry too much. Fate has its ways. Who knows? Maybe I really _will_ survive to see you again."

"I'll be forced to fight you." his voice was bitter, and Call laughed again. "Yes, that too. We'll be on opposite sides, that's all."

Aaron shook his head. "I don't get it. How are you taking this all so calmly? It's major- we're just kids, and there is a _war_ coming."

"Sometimes we just have to learn to accept our own destinies."

Those were the last words he'd ever heard from Callum Hunt.

 


	2. 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer(oh dear I haven't done this in ages): I don't own the Magisterium Series

"Hey, Aaron." Tamara huffed after him. "Slow _down_."

"Can't." he shook his head. "I'm almost there. I can _feel_ it. I haven't in years, but now-"

“He’s here?” Tamara’s eyes widened.

“He’s around.”

They stopped in front of a cave. Huge, dark, intimidating, the air felt like it was freezing.

" _In here?_ "

"He's around." Aaron repeated.

* * *

 

_Aaron lay awake in bed, too tired to do anything but await sleep to wash him over. The Bronze Year is much tougher than the Copper, even more so for him, being the Makar._

_He flopped his head sideways, burying his face into the pillow. It smelled like his shampoo, calm and soothing._

_There was a sudden jerk._

_Aaron jumped, sitting up frantically, the jerk had came from_ inside _him, pulling at his stomach. He stared down in surprise._

_Few moments passed before another pull, stronger than the last. Aaron sucked in a shaky breath. Then a quick tug followed suit, a struggle , a twist, a squeeze, so intense he had to bite his lower lip to keep himself from screaming._

_A snip._

_Clear and clean through, and there was nothing. Nothing apart from the hot white burning left from the cord’s (cord? Whatever had broken) dead end. Then even that was gone. He didn’t understand._

It occurred to him later on, that it was Call. And Call was gone. (No more, no longer attached) He'd only told Tamara, and she, for once, seems to be at a loss of words. It was after plenty of moments before she snapped out of her daze.

_"Did you know the bond existed?" Tamara asked, as if trying to dig up information._

_"No. Not after it was gone. I think it was some kind of...counterweight link?"_

_"He separated himself from you- he knew he was going to do a lot of chaos magic. He didn't want to drag you down in any way." Tamara hesitated.._

_"Or maybe..." Aaron prompted her to continue._

_"Or maybe he's trying to hide from us." she said reluctantly._

_Aaron sighed._

_"I- Call... You recon he's alright?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"But he must be, right? Where'd you think he learned that trick from?"_

_"Hmm...Joseph, I bet."_

_Aaron gave it a little thought._

_"Then I wonder why he hadn't told Constantine that. Maybe his brother wouldn't have died then, and he wouldn't have turned into the Enemy."_

_"Maybe he didn't know back then. Maybe he's just being who he is: a crazy person. He's obsessed with chaos magic. He knew with Jericho Madden dead he would be able to push Constantine further."_

_"Makes no sense. Jericho_ is _his counterweight. Counterweights make you stronger."_

_"Yes."_

* * *

 

"Are we going in?" Tamara asked, snapping him out of his trance.

"Y-Yeah."

"Aaron." his head snapped back, and found Tamara's steady gaze on him. "Breathe." she patted his shoulder encouragingly.

He complied, and felt his heartbeat slowing down back to normal.

"Thanks." he gave her a strained smile, then plunged into the darkness. Tamara's flashlight clicked open beside him, shrouding the place in a soft yellow glow.

He followed the tiny tug in his gut, allowing it to pull him along, to take him forward.

_Bring me to Call._ he told it.

* * *

 

They went on ahead, passing squiggly paths and jagged rocks: some bursting out from the walls and the floor, some crashing through the top, wild and hideous. Occasionally they would go through small ponds of water, and Aaron couldn't help being reminded of a certain lake inside the Magisterium. It had glittered beautifully blue that day, almost vibrantly so, the day Call left. Aaron had sat there for a long time, just gazing into the depth. These bodies of water seemed so small and dull compared to it.

Tamara was complaining quietly beside him, muttering to herself. ("It _had_ to be a cave. Oh boy. Figured if Call had to hide _anywhere_ , it would be a cave.") And he found surprisingly, the rants he used to find annoying and distracting calmed him down more than anything at the moment.

The paths were getting narrower, ("Couldn't he have been more considerate of visitors")and maybe it was just his imagination, but he felt the oxygen getting more scarce. Aaron had to gasp for air. He found it harder and harder to just _breathe._

His pulse was quickening. The further they were being led into the cave, the faster it beat. It was like a radar. They were getting close. Way close. "Tamara." he warned her. She turned her flashlight off and clamped her mouth shut.

The tingling started jumping like crazy and Aaron tried to soothe it down. He was almost _dragged,_ stumbling into a large bright clearing.

As if a switch had flipped off, everything died down, and he was left in silence. By the corner, beside a tiny clear puddle, knelt Callum.

He perked up, like suddenly knowing something new, and turning to look at the pair, eyes very gray and very wide. Aaron's voice caught in his throat.

"Call." Tamara was the first to break the silence.

"Tamara." he greeted her. "Aaron." he nodded in the blonde's direction.

Aaron opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Call raised an eyebrow. "What? No hello? No "how's it been"? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Aaron's eyes widened. It had been so long. So long since he last heard the deep, smooth voice that belonged to his friend he'd forgotten what it sounded like until now. It was such a _Call_ thing to say, and it was so familiar it nearly brought tears to his eyes. Yet seeing him right there, Aaron was stoned. There stood his best friend he hadn't seen in years, and he couldn't move an inch.

Tamara rushed past him and engulfed Call in a bone-crushing hug. She buried her face in the boy's shoulder, and Aaron could see from where he stood, that her back was shaking silently. She didn't bother hiding anything. The three never needed to hide anything from each other.

"Hey, hey." Call patted her softly. "Watch that windpipe."

She let go of him, grinning brightly.

_He was still who he had been._

Call stilled his gaze on Aaron, eyes a bit challenging like, _what about you then?_

Aaron felt himself surge forward, and met Call's warm embrace. It gave him so much comfort all those years of terrible missing came rushing back to him, and he could no longer hold the tears back. "You're okay. You're _alive."_

A throaty laugh came from underneath him. "Yes, my heart still beats on a regular basis."

"Not him." he murmured in relief. "You're not him." It was like a huge border being lifted from his heart.

He felt Call stiffen under him.

The shorter boy stepped back, pushing Aaron away gently, face contorted into confusion and pain. Aaron tried to ignore the hurt he felt in his chest.

"What's wrong?" Tamara asked, tone concerned.

"I..." Call looked uncertain. "Maybe this was a mistake. It wasn't what I had intended to do- I told myself not to hope. The bond is back, yes. But I didn't mean for it to settle down. Constantine, he yearned for a counterweight, and the thought of one brought the bond back with you."

"Constantine?" Tamara straightened. "Where-"

"It's not what you think." Call explained. "He's here, he's inside me, well not really, but I can feel his memories coming back to me.-"

"Call." Aaron warned, he didn't like where this was going. If Call was starting to think-

"-And I tell you! He's not what you all think.-"

"Call, please." Tamara begged. "You're talking nonsense now."

"-He loves his brother, he really really does. So much he couldn't live without Jericho. I know it now. I felt his pain. It's what drove him crazy."

"He was evil." Aaron said weakly. "He killed so many."

"It wasn't... I feel like I understand him now. All his actions."

"There's no defending what he did. It can't be excused." Tamara reminded him.

"I know that." Call's tone was calm. "But I just wish more people knew his true story without seeing him as an evil overlord and all that. In the end, he had started off being just a boy. Just like me."

"He was nothing like you!"

"How would you know?" Call's eyes flashed, and for the first time Aaron recognized an emotion leaking out: wounded. "You never knew him."

"He was evil! That's all I need to know."

Call's eyes widened. Then he hardened up to steel. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with pointed daggers.

"He's inside me. I can feel him in here." he thudded his chest, where his heart would be. "Our souls- his. I've never even met him, but I always get the feeling that I've known him forever. His little habits and routines, it's all so familiar to me. I get it now, even if I tried to fight it before."

Aaron felt his own breath catch in his throat.

"You're not saying-" Tamara hadn't got any problem with speaking her mind out loud.

"If he's evil, and I'm him; maybe I'm evil too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you who read my fic- extra thanks to those who were kind enough to leave kudos and reviews. You are wonderful people!  
> (P.S gmcxxii, I'm sorry I don't know what happened there but I got a blank review?)


	3. 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer (I'm trying to remember to put these now) :I don't own Magisterium

 Aaron could hardly recall anything. There was a tick at the back of his mind and it was driving him bonkers. Then he remembered.

The cave, the puddle. _Call._

He bolted up straight, and Tamara jumped beside him, . "Aaron! You scared me."

"Call." his eyes searched frantically. "Where's Call?"

He saw it. The wave of darkness. Call's face, cold and unreadable. There was a _pang_ to his chest at the thought of that. Reading Call had always come so natural to Aaron, but now...

_You shouldn't have come- I don't know what you were expecting. I can't- I'm not that boy anymore._

He had gotten them safely out. "Them" being Aaron and Tamara, but he can't help but remember that there was more to their group. One more. With dark, inky curls and a piercing steely gaze.

"Did I just-" he swallowed hard. "Did we just lose our best friend?"

Tamara fell into silence, but Aaron supposed that it's because there was nothing more to say about it, after all.

He felt like he had to speak up. "I did this."

And he _knows_ and  _remember_ that _once_ _upon a time Aaron had chased away Call's nightmares about changing into a person neither of the boys recognize. Once upon a time he had assured Call again and again that the dark-haired boy won't lose himself to a soul that already passed on._

"No, Aaron, it wasn't your fault." Tamara sounded almost tired.

"I told him he was evil."  _Once upon a time he had said to Call that the apprentice would never turn evil, no matter what._

"You told him _Constantine_ was evil." _Once upon a time he had promised to himself that he would never allow his best friend to get taken._

"What's the difference?!" _Once upon a time he failed._

"Everything." Tamara's tone hardened. "Look, I don't know what has gotten into you but Constantine is dead. I don't care what Master Joseph or Call or _you_ say Call is not Constantine! You of all people should know that!"

"I..."  _Once upon a time the world fell apart around him, and he is left with nothing._

He met her challenging gaze, and looked down.

"I don't think I know anything anymore." he shuffled his feet on the dirt road. "Do you?"

Tamara only sighed. "No." she said truthfully. "I don't. But there's no point in staying here anymore. We should head back before they decide that they should freak out and send out scouts for their precious Makar. You know the Assembly almost lost their marbles when Call left. You're all they have now, and if you return hurt, I'd probably get ripped to little sad Tamara-shreds and fly away with the wind. Not that there's a lot of wind down there."

He silently thanked his friend for trying to lighten up the mood for them.

"Yeah, you're right. I'd hate for you to get slaughtered, for that means I'll only have Jasper for company left." Tamara made a show of rolling her eyes and mouthing _thank you_ sarcastically. "But I'm not ready to let this go yet, Tamara. After _so long, I finally find him again._ I'm not just going to _lose_ him." _Not again._

"Don't worry." her tone was soft and comforting. "It's far from over." she promised. "We'll get him back."

Aaron cracked a half-smile at that, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude and warmth. "Thanks. What would I do without you?"

"You'd probably be so lonely and bored you would just go barging into Call's cave, asking him to marry you so you could join him in his puddle-staring and whatever other stuff he does. Not that I mind as long as you don't go around slaughtering people. If that _does_ happen though, I want to be the best woman of your wedding."

Aaron stared at her for a moment. "That's it. We're getting you to a doctor as soon as we get back."

Tamara giggled at that, and for a split second, it was as if they were Iron-years again. Happy and without a care.

But those days were long gone, and Aaron was left to deal with what came after.

* * *

 

"What have I done?" Call whispered to himself, rubbing his arms and shivering like he'd gotten cold. "What've I-" his head snapped up at a buzz sound at the far end of the room. Joseph's image flickered. Call visibly tensed.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me again? This is the, what? fifth place?"

The projection of the former Master slid into a grin. "Why? I always know where my master is. It's the very least of being your servant, master."

"More like a stalker. And didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" Call grumbled. "I'm not anybody's master."

"Not yet."

"......" Call didn't say anything to deny Joseph's claim. "What is it then? I doubt you're the kind of person who make social calls."

Joseph batted his eyes innocently, and Call had to use up every ounce of strength he had to not puke out his breakfast. "That is a question I should be asking you, master. What has been bothering _you?_ It is also a servant's duty to solve the master's problems. As a fine servant, I am here to take care of my master's troubles."

Call looked startled for a moment, then hardened again. "Whatever, I didn't ask for you. Therefore I believe you are dismissed and this conversation is over."

The man's eyes glinted wickedly. "I would tell my master otherwise, since there is obviously still a concern plaguing your mind. If I am correct, I would know to guess that it has something to do with my master's body's past friends."

Upon seeing Call's surprised look, Joseph's smile only grew larger. "The Makar and the other girl, isn't it. My master is very grand, but his body has yet to perfect the act of hiding information from demanding curiosity. I have learned to read the human body language quite well, and my master's body is a man who writes everything on his face. He needs to learn to cover up, to deceive."

"Will you stop referring to me as 'your master's body'?" Call snapped.

"As you wish, my master. I only meant to make things simpler." Joseph's image took a deep bow. "Before my master decides to reclaim his old body, this is the form that pleases him. I shall honor his choice, and so the body of the master shall also be my master, even if he doesn't realize the soul of the body had died a long time ago. Master, my master. You shall rise in glory not too long from now. Once you grasp your memories again, we shall enforce the transfer. You shall become the Enemy of Death once more."

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Joseph. Besides, I'm not even flattered." Call huffed.

Joseph's image collected his long sleeves and bowed once again. "I shall leave my master to himself now. Until next time, master." And with that, the connection broke, leaving a few remaining sand specks to flicker and drift in the air.

Call let out a breath he hadn't realized himself holding and sat down on one of the larger rocks beside him.

A bark rang out, and a wolf came pounding through the entrance, eyes flaring rich purple one second, and light blue the next.

"Havoc." Call smiled, and the wolf came to his side, nuzzling the boy's chest gently. Call giggled and scratched the wolf behind his ears. Havoc rumbled out a sound of pleasure.

"Hey, Havoc?" The wolf's ears perked up, recognizing the sound that is his name. "Do you think I am evil?"

Havoc made a sound close to a grunt and licked the boy's fingers.

"Alright," Call sighed. "I suppose you're hungry now. It's okay, whatever your answer is, I wouldn't understand a single part of it. C'mon, let's go get you some lunch."

The wolf wagged his tail happily, and Call found a smile tugging on his lips once again. _Dogs really are a man's best friend_ , the boy mused. _Even after everything you've done and everything you are that drove everyone you love away from you, they still stick around even after the very very end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I will never write anything long enough to last)  
> And as usual please leave a kudos if you like it, and leave a comment for any suggestions. Don't be afraid to ask anything! And your comment DOES matter to me! So talk to me? (please?)


	4. 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long while since I last updated and I'm sorry! But I didn't want to rush it and have this chapter end up being like rubbish.  
> Disclaimer: I don't own the Magisterium Series. If I do then the story would have been a lot worse. And a lot shorter.

He awoke to the sound of birds chirping.

_Weird, because there are no birds in deep dark caves._

Call opened his eyes. The sudden rush of light blinded his sight, and he blinked rapidly, chasing away the overwhelming rays, finally regaining his sight. He took in the scene before his eyes, observing the room he's in. The ceiling above his head was white. Plain, bright from the sunlight pouring through the shades of the window. Below him lay an unfamiliar bouncy mattress, the kind he'd never gotten the chance to try out. A gentle glow illuminated the room, throwing dark shadows across the other side of the bed. He did not recognize the place, but he did not feel panic at the slightest, as if he had awoken to the exact same surroundings all his life.

He sat up, cautious and slow, and the covers slid off his upper body, gently settling down on his blanket-full lap. The sheets were a soft blue color, just a shade lighter than a cloudless sky on a sunny day.

Call ran a hand through his hair, a bit dazed, then frowned when his fingers reach short at the tip way too early for his mop of long, unruly black locks; and when he brought his hand down, he gaped at the blonde strands curling around his fingertips.

Then the doors busted open, and Call bolted up straight, eyes snapping wide, thoughts scattered all over the place. A boy poked his head through the doorway, face open and honest, and mouth slid open, forming a huge grin that graced his face. There were long bangs bouncing off his head, framing his cheeks, and Call noticed surprisingly that the color of the boy's light hair was identical to the threads he found upon his palm just mere seconds before. His eyes were alarmingly familiar, Call decided, a splash of an intense dark gray that somehow managed to looked playful and full of mirth on the boy's delicate features, but he couldn't place in his mind where he'd seen them before.

"Hey, get up!" the boy was saying when he caught sight of Call, and his smile immediately faltered. He came into the room, lips still upturned, but now lowered enough so that it's just a gentle lift around the edges. "Hey, what's wrong? Got a nightmare? You look like you've seen a ghost." the boy laughed. It's a nice bubbly chuckle from the base of his throat.

"Uh," Call cringed at the odd sound coming out of his own mouth. It's a key higher than his normal voice, and much more smoother than usual, even without drinking any water yet. Call never sounded like that, being the owner of a voice that constantly cracked even half-way through the day, already very well moistened by all the talking done already.

"You okay?" the boy's brows are furrowed now, concern filling his tone.

Call blinked.

"Sure." he found himself replying a tad bit too late, and winced at his own timing. "Just, uh. Yeah, a nightmare." he finished lamely. "Who are you again?"

The boy huffed, puffing out his cheeks. "You're not even trying now, Connie. That's hardly-" his sentence was cut short by a screech inside Call's mind. His eyes widened, breaths now rushed and shallow. He felt like gasping, but the lack of oxygen in his cheat still alarms his entire body. A sudden streak of pain shot up his head, and he reached up to clutch his head, eyes screwing shut. A tremble ran down his spine, and he found himself shaking violently, unable to stop himself from the uncontrollable pulsing.

"Connie? Connie!" the scream ripped through the thick air and crashed into his eardrums.

* * *

 

He awoke again, to boring gray rocks over his head and a wolf as a blanket, sound asleep beside him.

He realized that his dream was a memory, and the boy he'd seen had been Jericho Madden, Constantine's twin brother, and that he'd just been Constantine himself.

The boy had just been _his_ twin brother.

* * *

 

"What do you mean you're out for a walk? What walk takes six hours?" The words were like bullets, piercing through the atmosphere settled between the teens.

"A long one?" Aaron said meekly.

"We got a bit lost." Tamara suggested helpfully.

Jasper lifted his eyebrows, clearly unconvinced, and Aaron prayed that for _once_ he would let it just _drop._

He should've known that it was too much to hope for.

"You're the Makar, Aaron."

It was an expected response, from anyone at all, if they had been the one that found him and Tamara. Like they were better, superior, and as if they were kids who didn't know any better. "I know that."

"I would have expected much better from you. You too, Tamara." Jasper narrowed his eyes at the girl he'd known since they were just kids, scolding her for not stopping Aaron from all nonsense. "You know the Assembly would completely lose their cool if you got yourselves missing. Both of you. You two should be thankful that I haven't told the masters yet."

"Thank you Jasper." Tamara said, evidently without any enthusiasm, rolling her eyes.

It was quite a surprise how everything turned out to be. With _Jasper_ of all people being the "mom" holding them back from doing rash things. He'd always been against the trio when Call was still with them, but not like this, like he genuinely _knows_ that it's the wrong thing to do, that it's just not _safe._

"You have to stop trying to look for him. It's just wishful thinking." Jasper pointed out sharply. It was the truth, yet it still stung, and Aaron pushed down a burst of rage.

"Even if you _did_ find him, he's already made his choice all those years ago. And he clearly didn't just say that as a whisk of impulse. You can just tell that he's put a lot of thought into it already. He's not gonna just bail and come back to us. And if he _does_ come back, well, that would just make everything complicated again, wouldn't it?"

Aaron felt his face getting hotter.

"It's not like _you_ care." he spat, knowing full on that he's not being fair to the Asian boy. "You never liked him anyway. I bet you're _glad_ he's gone, so he can _stop taking your place._ Isn't that what you said when he got chosen by Master Rufus?"

It hit. Jasper's face darkened. His gaze got so fierce Aaron had almost flinched back. "It's true we never saw eye to eye." his voice was dangerously thin, like a fragile layer of cautious ice venturing their way onto lakes at the end of each autumn. "But I would _never_ wish that fate upon _anyone_. Call and I weren't friends. Yet even _he_ ought to know I'm better than to curse him an unhappy life in fear. We're not blind you know? Anyone could see that he was unfocused the last few days of his Magisterium days. "

Jasper ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Know what? I'm not going to ask about it right now. I know that you _found_ some clue so don't even bother trying to hide. But for now, I'll stop. You two look like you're about to drop."

Aaron let out a tiny breath of relief, blessing Jasper in his head, and just _knew_ that Tamara was doing the same thing. "Thank you, Jasper." he supplied, and began to move away into the corridors. Jasper stopped him with an arm, and he huffed silently, turning to meet the other boy's eyes, a little complaining.

"Just this one more thing I want to know, alright?" Jasper's tone was curt, but somewhat apologetic, even if it was just by the slightest bit. "He's slowly edging into madness, isn't he? Call, I mean?"

Aaron didn't know why Jasper thought that he would know. Counterweights or not, they haven't exactly been in touch for so long Aaron wasn't even sure if he understood his friend anymore. Maybe Jasper wasn't really looking for an answer, just wanted to throw the question out in the opening. Or maybe he just thought that Aaron's thought would be closest to the truth as it gets.

Whatever the case is, Aaron didn't reply. He didn't trust what would come out of his mouth if he spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write anything long enough! I always try to write more but all of them end up being super short. I don't know what is wrong with me!! Anyway same as I always put here: please leave a kudos or a comment! I would be honestly overjoyed! Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos if you like it, and leave a comment on how I could do better. Constructive criticism is well-appreciated. Thank you!


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